Audlem ward councillors top candidates' poll

Audlem Ward Councillors Rachel Bailey and Allan Richardson, together with Wrenbury's Margaret Hollins, came out top when Eddisbury Conservatives voted to decide their candidates for the Cholmondley Division of the proposed East Cheshire Council when the elections take place in May 2008.

Currently Borough Councillors are elected by geographic Ward areas, of which Audlem Ward has two Borough Council representatives. Under the new arrangements, the Wards disappear and are replaced by Divisions – Audlem will be part of the Cholmondley Division. This covers a wide area with a population in the region of 12,500 including Acton, Bunbury, Alpraham, Bickerton, Wrenbury, Combermere, Church Minshull and Audlem and previously has elected a total of 6 Borough Councillors plus a County Councillor. For the East Cheshire Authority this is reduced to just three.

The Hustings took place at a packed Goodwill Hall at Faddiley and eight candidates made presentations and took questions from the floor. These included concern at the costs of setting up and running the new authority and its effect on Council Tax, and with the drastic reduction of elected councillors, how would the service received by the rural communities be effected.

At present, Borough councillors each liaise typically with four or five Parishes. But in the new Division, there will be three councillors to maintain contact with 28 Parish Councils spread over a much larger area!

Voting took place at the end of the evening and a strong Audlem presence had a significant effect on the result.

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